This invention relates generally to pipe cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for removing contaminates from the interior walls of sections of pipe used in gas lines.
Mercury and other contaminates, such as lead paint and naturally occurring radioactive materials, collect on the interior walls of pipe such as those used in natural gas lines. Some of these contaminates are naturally occurring and others leak into the lines from equipment used to measure and process the fluid transported in the pipe. Further, rust and scale form on the walls of the pipe and trap more contaminates on the walls. Pipe line owners periodically remove the contaminates from the lines to ensure purity of the fluid being transported. Moreover, when sections of pipe forming the pipe lines are taken out of service, it frequently is desirable to remove the contaminates before recycling or reusing the pipe to eliminate environmental and health-related concerns associated with some types of contaminates which may be present in the gas lines.
In the past, the sections of pipe were cleaned using steam, but present governmental regulations prevent use of this cleaning method and the method produces large amounts of contaminated waste. In addition, pipes have been cleaned previously by pulling heavy air hoses having cutters on them through the pipes. Although these apparatus worked well to remove scale, they were not very effective in removing contaminates such as mercury from pipes.